Cheri Oteri

From the onset of her first appearances on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), Cheri Oteri fully explored her gifts for provoking laugher. Her spot-on mimicry of celebrities such as Barbara Walters a...
Read More...

The members of 'N Sync have clarified reports suggesting they were planning a reunion on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary TV special in America on Sunday (15Feb15), revealing they simply regrouped behind the scenes. A tweet from the band's official account left fans believing there would be a major get together in New York as part of the show, and when Justin Timberlake opened the special with Jimmy Fallon, devotees were convinced there would be a big moment ahead.
But the reunion wasn't part of the three-and-a-half hour show, and neither was a performance from the group's boy band rivals the Backstreet Boys, which was also rumoured.
Many missed Lance Bass' tweet just before the special, when he made it clear he and his former bandmates would all be at the SNL TV special, but not on stage.
He wrote, "For the record , we are not performing or doing a skit tonight on SNL. But look hard for us in the audience! Fun night ahead!"
Indeed, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick posed for photographs together and Kirkpatrick posted a selfie featuring himself, Fatone and Backstreet Boys stars Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean on social media, alongside the caption, "The boys are back in town!"
Bass was also spotted on the red carpet, posing with former SNL cast member Cheri Oteri.
Fatone told U.S. news show Access Hollywood, "Here's the reality of it, to be honest. Justin's here. We were all supposed to be here, but actually with the weather and everything else, JC (Chasez) could not be here. There was no performance (planned)."
In fact, the U.S. flight cancellations that brought large parts of the east coast to a standstill over the weekend almost wrecked any 'N Sync get together in New York.
Fatone explained, "My flight got cancelled on Saturday night and I had to come in on Sunday."
And Kirkpatrick added, "It's freezing up here right now. Floridians don't understand this... We lost our luggage. I freaked out."

NBC
Yes, we all know that Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson know how to kick some serious ass in the Panem arena, but that's just child's play. The toughest arena out there is the infamous Saturday Night Live stage in Studio 8H. Many go in, but only few come out with their heads held high.
Competitors come from far and wide to wield their comedy swords against the fierce beast that is Lorne Michaels, eager to prove that they have what it takes to be both an esteemed performer and a relatable human being. Hunger Games stars such as Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, and Lenny Kravitz have taken to the stage before, and soon their fellow dystopia resident Hutcherson is set to master comedy on a chilly Saturday night. While all of our Hunger Games actors might claim to have a funny bone or two, only one can come out victorious. So who will it be?
Jennifer LawrenceSome might jump the gun and announce J-Law the victor without a second thought, but unfortunately, her natural good humor might just be tricking us into believing that she is the funniest of them all. Lawrence has what it takes to tackle the media and film, but her performance on SNL in January 2013 proved that nerves can get the best of all of us. After handling her monologue with questionable capability, Lawrence exhibited a handful of sketches that were surprisingly awkward. However, she delivered her sketch dressed up as dog quite well. Lawrence is one of those actors who doesn't care if she looks silly (or so we're lead to believe), so her confidence adds 10 points to whatever she's doing.
Woody HarrelsonDon't let the resident Hunger Games sourpuss fool you — Harrelson knows how to make a crowd laugh. Not only did he host in 1989 before either Lawrence or Hutcherson were born, but he took the stage by storm once again in 1992. During his first stint, his monologue consisted of a song mostly inspired from reading a thesaurus, and in 1992 he showed that he wasn't afraid to show some skin when he whipped off his shirt in a sketch aptly titled, "Take off Your Shirt." Not to mention that he was aided by the comedy gold that is Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, and Nora Dunn.
Lenny KravitzKravitz is definitely the wildcard in the pack. The singer and actor has never hosted the late-night variety show, but he has been the musical guest twice and has cameoed in sketches. Additionally, he showed his comedy skills when he played a considerable part in Jimmy Kimmel's "Handsome Men's Club" sketch on his talk show. However, until we're able to see Kravitz take on the role of host, we're not sure that he would be able to beat out the other tributes.
Julianne MooreMoore entered the battlefield in 1998 and proved that she can hold her own up against the likes of Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, Cheri Oteri, and Darrell Hammond. Moore made her mark in "The Ladies' Man" sketch where she appeared in a sultry red dress in a bed alongside Meadows, and in the famous Gasteyer and Shannon sketch "The Delicious Dish" where she skillfully bantered on the radio as a brainwashed cult member. (Not to mention that she was paired up with musical guest Backstreet Boys, who were at their prime in the late '90s. Anyone that's deemed good enough for Backstreet Boys in 1998 must be doing something right.)
Josh HutchersonThis tribute is certainly the newest to the battle (and the youngest), but we have high hopes in his comedy skills. In his promos for SNL, he seemed like a complete natural next seasoned Bobby Moynihan. Moynihan puts him through the "SNL Initiation" to see if he's up for the challenge, and the good news is that he passes all of the tests with flying colors, which makes us think that he'll be quite the competitor.
Winner: Julianne Moore (mostly because we think she has the experience to handle anything), although we can't count out Hutcherson until this weekend when he hosts SNL alongside musical guest HAIM on Nov. 23 on NBC.
Follow @CaseyRackham
//
Follow @hollywood_com
//

There's something oddly cruel about naming a comedy show that features D-list comedians Who Gets the Last Laugh? (It's all of us at them, right?) Alas, the likes of Andy Dick (who, between this and Dancing with the Stars seems hell-bent on taking up your television), Bam Margera, D.L. Hughley, Bill Bellamy, Tom Green, Charlie Murphy, Bobby Lee, Luenell, and Nicole Sullivan, are hoping they actually will get the last laugh on a new hidden comedy prank show on TBS this fall.
RELATED: 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 16 Cast Revealed
According to TVLine, the series — which is hosted by Scrubs and Clueless star Donald Faison and developed by Punk’d creators Jason Goldberg and Ashton Kutcher (because they apparently can't get enough of watching people with egg on their face) —will have different celebs come up with outrageous pranks. Whoever has the best one that week (as determined by a live audience) will win $10,000, which they will donate to the charity of their choice.
RELATED: Bret Michaels Fired During Premiere of 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice'
The show features of a mix of people with obligations to TBS (The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayar, Men At Work's Danny Masterson), former SNL players (Cheri Oteri, Chris Kattan, Finesse Mitchell), and people with actual clout who have absolutely no reason to be there (what the hell are you doing, Alan Thicke and Kevin McDonald?). Who Gets the Last Laugh? debuts on TBS on Tuesday, April 16 at 10 PM ET. Remember, we're apparently laughing with them this time.
RELATED: 'Scrubs' Star Donald Faison Weds Jessica Simpson's Best Friend Cacee Cobb
[Photo credit: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto]
From Our Partners:Kim Kardashian's Maternity Style: So Wrong? (Vh1)60 Celebrity Bikini Bodies: Guess Who! (Celebuzz)

NBC's The New Normal is a delightful show about a not very ordinary gay couple trying to have a surrogate daughter with a strange woman who has an oddball child and an unbelievably bigoted (and funny) grandmother. NeNe Leakes is also sometimes involved. As much as it would like us to believe that this is the way the world works today, like most Ryan Murphy shows it is a celebration of the oddities within all of us. Therefore this weekly feature is both a celebration (and indictment) of all the abnormality contained within it.
Normal: Getting a dog to see if you can be a parent. Abnormal: Getting a dog to see if you can be a good parent after you already have a bun in the (other lady who is living in your guest house's) oven.
Normal: A 9-year-old loving Harry Potter. Abnormal: A 9-year-old being obsessed with Maggie Smith and dressing in elaborate costumes in class and then getting in trouble for it. Where did she get the costume? The mother had to know about it before getting called to the principal's office.
Normal: Ian McKellan coming onto you at the car wash. Abnormal: Actually making out with him.
RELATED: The Least Normal Things About 'The New Normal': Breast Feeding Edition
Normal: Encouraging your child's dreams. Abnormal: Encouraging your child to be like Taylor Swift. No one wants their child to be like that soul-sucking hussy who dates every man that she can find and then writes about how wronged she is when they dump her.
Normal: Having great female guest stars like Kerry Kenni-Silver. Abnormal: Wasting them as your household help and vets and other tiny parts. Remember what they did to Marlo Thomas (RIP: her face) and Cheri Oteri?
Normal: Being hot for teacher. Abnormal: There is no assistant principal in the world that damn hot.
RELATED: The Least Normal Thing About 'The New Normal': Grey Gardens Edition
Normal: Ex sex. Abnormal: Ex sex when you're pregnant with another man's (men's?) baby.
Normal: Leather daddies with butch pets like a bulldog. Abnormal: Leather daddies with parrots that say "Who's your daddy? Take it all!"
Normal: Going to the doctor and thinking there is something seriously wrong. Abnormal: Going to the doctor and thinking there is something seriously wrong and it's only gas. That only happens on TV. Super Abnormal: Having your dog get sick, having it only be gas, and then having it get hit by a car so that you don't have to continue having a dog on the show for the rest of the series. Dog trainers are expensive!
RELATED: The Least Normal Things About 'The New Normal': Christ on a Cross Edition
Normal: Loving a good impression. Abnormal: Having to explain to the public who that impression is of. Look it's Maggie Smith from Sister Act and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit co-starring Lauryn Hill before she was crazy.
Normal: Teenagers getting people pregnant. Abnormal: 18-year-olds knocking up girls at Burning Man. Only middle aged former hippies go to Burning Man.
Normal: Dogs growing up very quickly. Abnormal: Wait, how did they have a 9-month-old puppy that was only on the show for a week? Wouldn't we have seen it before, especially considering that it is older than Goldie's fetus? Where have they been hiding this dog?
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
[Photo credit: Vivian Zink/NBC]

NBC's The New Normal is a delightful show about a not very ordinary gay couple trying to have a surrogate daughter with a strange woman who has an oddball child and an unbelievably bigoted (and funny) grandmother. NeNe Leakes is also somehow involved. As much as it would like us to believe that this is the way the world works today, like most Ryan Murphy shows it is really a celebration of the oddities within all of us. Therefore this weekly feature is both a celebration (and indictment) of all the abnormality contained within it.
Normal: Having pregnancy cravings.
Abnormal: Pregnancy does not let you eat your face off anymore. We have the post-baby body to deal with!
Normal: Having a gingerbread house.
Abnormal: Eating the gingerbread house.
Normal: Wanting Cheri Oteri, who is amazing, on the show all the time.
Abnormal: A baby concierge. Sorry, Rosie Pope, this still isn't a thing. (But you need to hire her to play the nanny).
Normal: Liking to read books.
Abnormal: Please, no one bought Chelsea Handler's book in hardcover.
Normal: Struggling with a baby-proofed toilet.
Abnormal: Actually peeing in the sink. No one does that sober.
Normal: Wanting to watch the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special on CBS.
Abnormal: An NBC show shilling for a program on another network that airs on the same night.
Normal: Hating boring dinner companions.
Abnormal: I would kill to sit across from Vanessa Redgrave while she recounts her trip to Palestine.
Normal: Nagging your partner about eating too much.
Abnormal: Nagging your partner about eating too much when you are always going on about how you love to eat your feelings. Also, your partner looks like this.
Normal: Having a Realtor.
Abnormal: Having Marlo Thomas as your Realtor.
Normal: Marlo Thomas.
Abnormal: Marlo Thomas' nose.
Normal: Saying that gay advice is getting a makeover, giving you etiquette lessons, or schooling you on sex.
Abnormal: Saying that gay advice is helping you to live your life.
Normal: Practicing saying the alphabet backwards for when you get pulled over after a cocktail.
Abnormal: Practicing tap dance wings for your sobriety check. (Also, Bryan has Twitter. Why doesn't he follow @LADUICheckPoint?)
Normal: Wanting to be thin.
Abnormal: Wanting to give up cookies.
Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan
[Photo Credit: Neil Jacobs/NBC]
More:
The Least Normal Things About 'The New Normal': We're Having a Boy Edition
The Least Normal Things About 'The New Normal': Tofurkey Edition
The Least Normal Things About 'The New Normal': Twitter Edition
From Our Partners:
Harry Styles Spotted Outside Taylor Swift’s Hotel Room The Morning After Their Date Night (PHOTOS)
Fall Bikini Bodies: The Good, The Great, The OMG (GALLERY)

Sofia Vergara won't be the only woman making her Saturday Night Live debut on April 7. Deadline reports that Kate McKinnon of the Upright Citizen's Brigade will appear in the episode, and it's possible we'll be seeing a few more female faces in studio 8H in the coming weeks. Kristen Wiig's contract is up at the end of the season, which means the show is poised to lose it's main female star (or rather, biggest star, period) — and Lorne Michaels has started searching for a woman who can fill her shoes.
Of course, there are plenty of other women on SNL right now, but despite the fact that some have been on the show for several seasons, they've failed to become household names. Even if viewers recognize the faces of Abby Elliott, Nasim Pedrad, and Vanessa Bayer, their impersonations of Kim Kardashian, Angelina Jolie, and Miley Cyrus haven't made a cultural impact. If anyone's still talking about a lady-helmed SNL skit when you get to work on Monday, it probably features one of Wiig's characters, such as Gilly, the Target Lady, Suze Orman, Kathie Lee Gifford, or Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, just to name a few.
SNL's dearth of female talent seems even more pronounced because the show is coming off an unprecedented 15-year period of strong female performers. Cheri Oteri, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon joined the cast in 1995 and 1996 and went on to create some of the program's most unforgettable characters, including the NPR Ladies, half of the Spartan Cheerleaders, and Mary Katherine Ghallagher. (They're also remembered for spot-on impressions of Martha Stewart, Monica Lewinsky, and Judge Judy.) Just as these were retiring from SNL in the early 2000s, the show entered a golden age for female performers. Tina Fey was named SNL's first female head writer and became a Weekend Update anchor, then unleashed a Sarah Palin impression so good that some have wondered if it influenced the 2008 election. Amy Poehler created several memorable characters, and joined Fey at the Weekend Update desk and in political sketches as Hillary Clinton. During this time Rachel Dratch was part of some of the show's best-loved skits, including the Lovers, Denise and Scully, and Debbie Downer. Plus, Maya Rudolph could morph into nearly any female celebrity, including Donatella Versace, Whitney Houston, Oprah Winfrey.
In the mid-2000s, these SNL heavyweights left the show and went on to find success in projects like Baby Mama, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation. This left only Rudolph's Bridesmaids co-star Kristen Wiig to take up the mantle of TV's funniest lady. Thankfully, Wiig has suggested that she'd like to do a few more seasons, saying, "I love the cast ... We're like Melrose Place without the murder." However, her film career is taking off with roles in Friends With Kids and Imogene, and it's unlikely that she'll stay for long. That means Lorne Michaels has the unenviable task of finding a woman who can both impersonate female cultural figures like Taylor Swift, and create original characters that can make us laugh with just a twitch of their baby hands.
[Deadline, MSNBC]

Just last night, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday’s SNL host Maya Rudolph hinted that she may see the return of former cast mate, Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler when she returns to the hallowed stage. And while she didn’t confirm it, it’s not too much of a stretch to assume some of her former cohorts might come back to lend her a hand – seeing old cast members reunite is half of the fun of having them come back to host. With that in mind, the best way to get pumped for this weekend’s (potential) reunion extravaganza is to run down some of the best SNL cast reunions.
Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph Sing About Baby-Making
When mother-to-be Tina Fey hosted the Mother’s Day episode, she got the reunions going right out of the gate when former cast member and fellow expectant mother Rudolph joined her during her monologue. Defying what her television alter ego, Liz Lemon, would do, Fey led Rudolph in a sexy, R&amp;B song about babies, mommas, and making babies, baby. The performance came right after the release of her book in which she wrestles with the decision to postpone a second baby, writing, “To hell with everybody! Maybe I’ll just wait until I’m fifty and give birth to a ball of fingers! ‘Merry Christmas from Tina, Jeff, Alice, and Ball of Fingers,’ the card will say.” It would seem this reunion is not only a comedy lover’s dream, but a lullaby for little Ball of Fingers.
The Return of “Really!?! With Seth and Amy”
Nothing was quite as cathartic as the Weekend Update segment “Really!?! With Seth and Amy.” It’s come back with the sadly shortened subtitle “With Seth” and once, “With Seth and Kermit” but without Queen Poehler, the sketch just doesn’t cut it. What can we say, she’s really good at saying, “REALLY!?! I mean really.” So when Poehler’s 2009 hosting gig saw the bubbly blonde returning to Weekend Update to question Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim that Americans were behind the terrorist attacks on 9-11, her angry ranting was like a breath of fresh, funny air.
Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek Returns to Face Off With Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery
Though former SNL writer and actor Norm McDonald once admitted this recurring sketch was created solely as a venue for his Burt Reynolds impression, it quickly became the Will Ferrell show as his turgid Alex Trebek gained a certain contentious chemistry with Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery. And in 2009, when Ferrell returned to host the show that launched his illustrious and often terrifyingly shirtless career, Ferrell was practically upstaged by the return of “Connery,” the pre-school antics of Tom Hanks, and a surprise appearance by the inspiration for the original sketch. (Hint: It rhymes with Kurt Heynolds.)
The “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” Single Performance Reunion Tour
It would seem that no one can bring SNL favorites back together like the infinitely likable Jimmy Fallon. The actor has been called the “Star” of the show by many former cast mates, including Queen Tina Fey in her book Bossypants, so the fact that he was able to get Chris Kattan, Horatio Sanz, and Tracy Morgan back together to sing (or bop along like Muppets) the “classic” holiday song is no surprise at all. It’s like a hot cup of peppermint cocoa with really awkwardly shaped marshmallows floating in it – comforting, yet slightly irksome.
Dana Carvey and Mike Myers Party On
While Myers and Carvey are clearly far from their teenage youth, the duo reunited in 2011 when Carvey hosted SNL to discuss the impending Oscars ceremony. They had a particular fixation on Winter’s Bone (Winter’s BONE). Seeing the pair reunite for the first time since the watered down reincarnation during the 2008 MTV Movie Awards was welcomed by fans and the actors alike. In fact, Carvey even got a bit of the Wayne’s World bug, telling TMZ, “If they want, we can play 'em in their 50s ... 'Wayne! My prostate's enlarged!” Well, as they say, “Party on, Garth!”
The Ladies of ‘SNL’ Skewer the ‘Real Housewives’ Series
For one glorious night, the ladies of SNL past and present came together to deliver a pitch-perfect impression of Bravo’s bread and butter, Real Housewives reunions hosted by Andy Cohen – who was also on hand to keep the funny ladies in check. Laura Dunn, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Tina Fey gathered in New York to get the cat fight going while Laraine Newman, Amy Poehler, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus gathered in Los Angeles to add their two cents. Not only was the subject the perfect way to showcase these ladies’ varied comedic styles, but it if you pay close attention, you can hear the development of Rudolph’s current TV persona from Up All Night. Just listen for the “in-saan.”

"I once told Morgan Freeman how much I loved his work, and he responded by saying, 'When are you due?' Problem is, I wasn't pregnant. It so traumatised me that I'll never again wear that outfit." Actress CHERI OTERI was mortified after meeting acting legend MORGAN FREEMAN.

The Rise and Fall of Will Ferrell
This week sees the release of the latest Will Ferrell film, The Other Guys. Telling you this film is a comedy is akin to making the Earth-shattering announcement that the theater in which you see it will be serving popcorn. Ferrell has made an indelible mark on comedy and become, like it or not, the face of the genre for an entire generation. I will in no way pretend that his work hasn’t elicited more than a few laughs from me and I do sincerely think the guy is a comic genius. That being said, I don’t think I’m alone in noticing a marked decline in the quality of his work as of late. In an effort to understand this slump, I think it’s important to examine his body of work as a whole.
Will Ferrell, like many comedic movie stars, cut his teeth on Saturday Night Live. He entered the cast during the twilight of the era of Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley. To adopt comic book parlance, I consider this the silver age of SNL. I am sure more than a few producers were concerned about the longevity of the show, even in its 21st season, upon losing that lineup. But along came the likes of Molly Shannon, Cheri Oteri, and a bizarre giant by the name of Will Ferrell. A new dynasty was born.
When Hollywood could no longer ignore Ferrell’s talent, his early movie career exemplified the proverbial mixed bag. It began as a memorable cameo in a Mike Myers' passion project: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. As if to solidify the existence of the curse of SNL properties adapted to film, Ferrell followed his excellent turn in Austin Powers with bombs A Night at the Roxbury and Superstar. But amidst the abysmal SNL adaptations, he also delivered much smarter comedy gold in Dick.
While I happen to enjoy Zoolander, and more specifically, Ferrell’s performance as Mugatu, the film that really propelled his career was undoubtedly Old School. That was the film that showed just enough of his range to convince people that this wasn’t just an SNL funnyman, but a potential movie star as well. He then displayed even more range and heart with John Favreau’s Elf, which has become one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. If Ferrell had people convinced he could be a comedy frontman with Old School, it was Anchorman that made Hollywood realize just what kind of major player he could be.
As much as I love Anchorman, and believe it to be a superb comedy, this success was a mixed blessing for Ferrell and the source of his current stagnation. I’m sure some of you are questioning my mental faculties right now, and I don’t blame you, but Anchorman truly created a monster. As heartily as we all laughed at the blundering, misogynistic buffoon that was Ron Burgundy, we didn’t realize Ferrell would play this same character for the next four years. This developmentally arrested man-boy would rear his head in Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, and Step Brothers.
It’s one thing to create an incredibly unique character and play the part to perfection once, but it’s quite another to beat a dead horse until one becomes a parody of oneself. In the midst of all this, Ferrell did attempt to flex his comedic and thespian muscles with films like Melinda and Melinda, Winter Passing, and Stranger Than Fiction. All great performances, all largely unheralded at the box office. I believe the lack of commercial success for his more artistic endeavors is what drove Ferrell time and time again back to this tired but tried-and-true formula. I also believe this is exactly why he’s struggled of late trying to break away from that archetype. Ferrell’s only vehicle since the last gasp of the dying man-boy persona (in Step Brothers) was the unfortunate Land of the Lost, which failed to deliver, to put it lightly.
It’s interesting to me, and really telling when you think about it, that since Stranger Than Fiction, Ferrell’s best work has been in cameos and internet memes. His series of web shorts featuring a precocious little costar were hysterical, my favorite being “The Landlord,” and his stint on Eastbound and Down was fantastic. Hopefully, the very fragile and meek police officer in The Other Guys will be the role that snaps his losing streak and definitively breaks him free of Ron Burgundy.

That big Hulk of a guy not only got mad, he got super green, making a heap of cash at the box office this weekend. The latest Marvel comic actioner raged its way to the No.1 spot, debuting with a smashing $62.6 million.*
The opening for the not-so-jolly green giant, however, didn't quite reach the same levels as Marvel Comics' flagship Spider-Man, which set a three-day opening record of $114.8 million last year. The Hulk also trails the most recent Marvel entry, X2: X-Men United, which opened with $85.6 million last month. Among all films to open so far this year, The Hulk weighs in at No. 5, Reuters reports.
Still, The Hulk's massive numbers make it the biggest June opener of all time, followed by Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me with opened in 1999 at $54.9 million and Scooby-Doo, which opened in 2002 at $54.1 million.
Last week's topper, the briny Finding Nemo, managed to keep afloat in the second spot with $20.5 million. The high octane 2 Fast 2 Furious crossed the finish line in third place with $10.3 million, while the comedy with a higher power Bruce Almighty commanded fourth with $10 million. Rounding out the top five was the heist thriller The Italian Job stealing $7.2 million.
Other newcomers this week included the romantic comedy Alex &amp; Emma, which swooned its way into seventh place at $6.2 million, and the American Idol ultra-pop flick From Justin to Kelly, which boogied in at No. 11 with $2.8 million.
THE TOP TEN
Universal Pictures' PG-13 The Hulk crushed the competition to take the No. 1 spot with an ESTIMATED $62.6 million at 3,660 theaters. Its per theater average of $17,104 put it well above the other films on the top 10 list.
The story follows a brilliant genetic scientist working with cutting-edge technology who absorbs a normally deadly dose of gamma radiation. When combined with his own altered DNA, the radiation turns him into an impossibly strong, rampaging creature known as the Hulk.
Directed by Ang Lee, it stars Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte.
Buena Vista/Disney and Pixar Animation Studios' G rated computer-animated feature Finding Nemo fell a spot to second place this week with an ESTIMATED $20.5 million (-28%) at 3,404 theaters (-21 theaters; $6,022 per theater). Its cume is approximately $228 million.
Directed and co-written by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, it features the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe and Brad Garrett.
Universal Pictures' PG-13-rated action-packed sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious slipped to No. 2 in its third week with an ESTIMATED $10.3 million (-45%) at 3,140 theaters (-278 theaters; $3,280 per theater). Its cume is approximately $102.1 million, making it the ninth film released in 2003 to cross the $100 million mark.
Directed by John Singleton, it stars Paul Walker, Tyrese, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser and Devon Aoki.
Universal Pictures' PG-13 Bruce Almighty dropped to fourth place in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $10 million (-30%) at 3,074 theaters (-403 theaters; $3,253 per theater average). Crossing the huge $200 million mark, its cume is approximately $210.7 million.
Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman.
Paramount Pictures' PG-13 rated actioner The Italian Job surprisingly climbed up the ladder this week from seventh to fifth in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $7.2 million (-25%) at 2,095 theaters (-602 theaters; $3,449 per theater). Its cume is approximately $67.6 million.
Directed by F. Gary Gray, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def and Edward Norton.
Paramount's PG rated animated feature Rugrats Go Wild fell two spots to No. 6 with an ESTIMATED $6.6 million (-42%), staying at 3,041 theaters ($2,190 per theater). In the film, Nickelodeon regulars the Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys team up to get off a deserted island. So far, it's accumulated approximately $23.5 million in two weeks.
Directed by Norton Virgien and John Eng, it features the voices of Michael Bell, Jodi Carlisle, Nancy Cartwright, Lacey Chabert, Melanie Chartoff, Cheryl Chase, Tim Curry, Elizabeth Daily and Bruce Willis.
Warner Bros.' PG-13 soppy romance Alex &amp; Emma debuted in seventh place with an ESTIMATED $6.2 million at 2,310 theaters, averaging $2,701 per theater.
The film revolves around a novelist with a serious case of writer's block who hires a stenographer to help him finish his book, which he has 30 days to write or be killed by some nasty Cuban loan sharks.
Directed by Rob Reiner, it stars Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson and Sophie Marceau.
*Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.
Sony Picture's PG-13 cop comedy Hollywood Homicide sank to eighth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $5.8 million (-48%) at 2,840 theaters ($2,042 per theater). The film, about a veteran police detective and his fresh-faced partner who are more interested in their side jobs than in the high-profile gangland-style murder they are currently investigating, has taken in approximately $21.4 million thus far.
Directed by Ron Shelton, it stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett.
New Line's PG-13 comedy Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd dropped three notches to ninth place in its second week with a dismal ESTIMATED take of $4.2 million (-61%) at 2,609 theaters ($1,639 per theater). The prequel to the 1994 Dumb &amp; Dumber reveals how mentally challenged best friends Harry and Lloyd became pals, and has accumulated approximately $19.9 million.
Directed by Troy Miller, it stars Eric Christian Olsen, Derek Richardson, Eugene Levy and Cheri Oteri.
Warner Bros.' R rated sci-fi sequel The Matrix Reloaded dropped to No. 10 in its sixth week with an ESTIMATED $4 million (-30%) at 1,850 theaters (-500 theaters; $2,189 per theater). Its cume is approximately $264.5 million.
Directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, it stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving.
OTHER OPENINGS
20th Century Fox's PG-rated musical romp From Justin to Kelly debuted with an ESTIMATED $2.8 million at 2,001 theaters, averaging $1,437 per theater.
The top two contenders from the first season of American Idol, winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, team up in this Grease-like beach musical, playing a pair who sing, dance and fall in love during Spring Break on Miami Beach.
Directed by Robert Iscove, it also stars Katherine Bailess, Anika Noni Rose, Greg Siff and Brian Dietzen.
WEEKEND COMPARISON
The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $141.9 million, up 22 percent from last week's take of $116.2 million.
The Top 12, however, were down 5 percent from last year's $150.2 million total.
Last year, Fox's PG-13 Minority Report premiered at the top of the box office with $35.6 million at 3,001 theaters ($11,888 per theater), while Buena Vista's PG-rated animated Lilo &amp; Stitch debuted at a close second with $35.2 million at 3,191 theaters ($11,050 per theater); Warner Bros.' PG rated Scooby-Doo came in third place with $24.4 million at 3,447 theaters ($7,101 per theater).

Education

Cheri Oteri refuses to divulge her age in interviews, stating that she loves playing characters of all ages.

"When I was a kid, I used to just study people. Now, as an adult, I'm being everybody I ever watched." - Oteri to Rolling Stone magazine, Nov. 27, 1997

"I totally existed in my imagination. When I woke up in the morning, the curtain went up! When I went to sleep, it went down. I took my bow, and I got into my bottom bunk. There are kids who entertain themselves. It's a form of escape, to make yourself laugh. My mom probably thought, 'I don't know whether Cheri's masturbating or what the hell she's doing in there.'" - Oteri to Us Weekly, July 17, 2000

"I've been going to the movies by myself forever. The only problem is sharing the experience. To this day, if something makes me laugh, I always hit the person next to me. They look at me like, 'Yeah, I saw it. Keep your hands to yourself.'" - Oteri to Us Weekly, July 17, 2000